The Home Run Derby returns tonight, Monday, July 13, from Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, where eight of baseball’s biggest sluggers will spend the evening trying to introduce baseballs to low-flying aircraft.
First pitch… well… first launch… is scheduled for 8:00 PM ET, and for the first time ever the Derby will stream exclusively on Netflix. That’s right. Somewhere tonight your dad is going to accidentally start Stranger Things while trying to watch Bryce Harper hit baseballs into another ZIP code.
Meet the Eight Guys About to Make Outfielders Feel Unnecessary
This year’s contestants are:
- Bryce Harper (Phillies)
- Kyle Schwarber (Phillies)
- Junior Caminero (Rays)
- Jac Caglianone (Royals)
- Ben Rice (Yankees)
- Willson Contreras (Red Sox)
- Jordan Walker (Cardinals)
- Munetaka Murakami (White Sox)
Philadelphia gets two hometown stars in Harper and Schwarber, so the crowd should be loud enough that nearby cheesesteaks may actually season themselves.
New Rules… Because Baseball Loves New Rules
MLB has completely changed the Derby format this year.
Gone are the timed rounds where everyone looked like they were late for a flight.
Instead, every hitter gets the same number of swings. Nice and simple. Even your uncle who still thinks the designated hitter is “just a phase” can follow along.
Round One
- Eight hitters
- 20 swings each
- Top four advance
If there’s a tie, it’s decided by the longest home run.
Which is baseball’s version of saying, “Well… that one went to Delaware.”
Semifinals
The four remaining hitters are seeded.
- #1 vs #4
- #2 vs #3
Each gets 15 swings.
If they’re tied, they get a three-swing swing-off.
Because apparently one swing-off wasn’t dramatic enough.
Championship Round
The finalists each receive 15 swings.
If they’re tied?
Yep.
Another three-swing showdown.
At some point the pitchers are going to be asking for an ice bath and counseling.
The New “Final Swing” Rule
Here’s the fun new wrinkle.
If your last scheduled swing leaves the yard…
…your round keeps going.
You stay alive until you finally don’t homer.
It’s basically baseball’s version of, “You made the basket from half court… go ahead, keep shooting.”
One hot streak could suddenly turn into five or six more bombs.
Or…
You could crush nineteen majestic home runs…
Need one more…
Then pop one straight up to the catcher.
That’s baseball.
Tonight’s Prediction
With this lineup, somebody’s probably going to hit one that lands in New Jersey.
The fans in Philadelphia will cheer.
The fans in New Jersey will politely ask that everyone stop hitting baseballs into their parking lots.
One thing’s for sure…
Tonight, baseballs are filing workers’ compensation claims.